Wifi encryption
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Are there any routers out there (with a factory default firmware) that can encrypt different connections with different implementations of encryption(WPA, WPA2, WEP)? With all of the routers that I know of, the routers encryption is only as strong as the weakest implementation that connects to it. What if you could have a different level of encryption for each device? For example: you have a very old laptop that only has WEP, but you have a newer computer that can do WPA2 and you communicate more sensitive information (ie. online banking) on it. With the current implementation, the router has to encrypt all data with the lower encryption (WEP) and the banking info (or similar) can be more easily "sniffed" from the air. But, if your router could have several levels of encryption, then the more sensitive data could use a more secure connection and the older computer could still connect to the router. Obviously, this would make it easier to connect to the router over the weaker encryption instead of the stronger, but if there were were more stringent connection restrictions on the router (MAC address filtering, etc.) for the weaker encryption then it could be made more secure. All forms of encryption and access control can be beaten eventually. Why make your overall system less secure if there are only a few devices that are on your network that don't support the higher encryption? (This message posted by my very old laptop that does not support WPA, and only has 0.25 gb of RAM :~ )
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Are there any routers out there (with a factory default firmware) that can encrypt different connections with different implementations of encryption(WPA, WPA2, WEP)? With all of the routers that I know of, the routers encryption is only as strong as the weakest implementation that connects to it. What if you could have a different level of encryption for each device? For example: you have a very old laptop that only has WEP, but you have a newer computer that can do WPA2 and you communicate more sensitive information (ie. online banking) on it. With the current implementation, the router has to encrypt all data with the lower encryption (WEP) and the banking info (or similar) can be more easily "sniffed" from the air. But, if your router could have several levels of encryption, then the more sensitive data could use a more secure connection and the older computer could still connect to the router. Obviously, this would make it easier to connect to the router over the weaker encryption instead of the stronger, but if there were were more stringent connection restrictions on the router (MAC address filtering, etc.) for the weaker encryption then it could be made more secure. All forms of encryption and access control can be beaten eventually. Why make your overall system less secure if there are only a few devices that are on your network that don't support the higher encryption? (This message posted by my very old laptop that does not support WPA, and only has 0.25 gb of RAM :~ )
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Are there any routers out there (with a factory default firmware) that can encrypt different connections with different implementations of encryption(WPA, WPA2, WEP)? With all of the routers that I know of, the routers encryption is only as strong as the weakest implementation that connects to it. What if you could have a different level of encryption for each device? For example: you have a very old laptop that only has WEP, but you have a newer computer that can do WPA2 and you communicate more sensitive information (ie. online banking) on it. With the current implementation, the router has to encrypt all data with the lower encryption (WEP) and the banking info (or similar) can be more easily "sniffed" from the air. But, if your router could have several levels of encryption, then the more sensitive data could use a more secure connection and the older computer could still connect to the router. Obviously, this would make it easier to connect to the router over the weaker encryption instead of the stronger, but if there were were more stringent connection restrictions on the router (MAC address filtering, etc.) for the weaker encryption then it could be made more secure. All forms of encryption and access control can be beaten eventually. Why make your overall system less secure if there are only a few devices that are on your network that don't support the higher encryption? (This message posted by my very old laptop that does not support WPA, and only has 0.25 gb of RAM :~ )
I think this happens because the router has effectively only one radio channel. All traffic on the channel must use the same encryption, yada, yada. Not to say that what you want can't be done, but I've never seen it done. Maybe the closest you could get is two routers side-by-side, one running .11b/g with WEP, the other .11g/n with WPA(2). [It would probably be cheaper to use two commodity routers than one fancy do-it-all box!]
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994.
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Are there any routers out there (with a factory default firmware) that can encrypt different connections with different implementations of encryption(WPA, WPA2, WEP)? With all of the routers that I know of, the routers encryption is only as strong as the weakest implementation that connects to it. What if you could have a different level of encryption for each device? For example: you have a very old laptop that only has WEP, but you have a newer computer that can do WPA2 and you communicate more sensitive information (ie. online banking) on it. With the current implementation, the router has to encrypt all data with the lower encryption (WEP) and the banking info (or similar) can be more easily "sniffed" from the air. But, if your router could have several levels of encryption, then the more sensitive data could use a more secure connection and the older computer could still connect to the router. Obviously, this would make it easier to connect to the router over the weaker encryption instead of the stronger, but if there were were more stringent connection restrictions on the router (MAC address filtering, etc.) for the weaker encryption then it could be made more secure. All forms of encryption and access control can be beaten eventually. Why make your overall system less secure if there are only a few devices that are on your network that don't support the higher encryption? (This message posted by my very old laptop that does not support WPA, and only has 0.25 gb of RAM :~ )
A single radio can be used to carry multiple encryption formats, but that would be expensive. The router would most likely require multiple processors to handle each of the streams. But you might try creating VPNs for each machine, as that encrypts the packets before they are handed off to the physical layer for transport.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Are there any routers out there (with a factory default firmware) that can encrypt different connections with different implementations of encryption(WPA, WPA2, WEP)? With all of the routers that I know of, the routers encryption is only as strong as the weakest implementation that connects to it. What if you could have a different level of encryption for each device? For example: you have a very old laptop that only has WEP, but you have a newer computer that can do WPA2 and you communicate more sensitive information (ie. online banking) on it. With the current implementation, the router has to encrypt all data with the lower encryption (WEP) and the banking info (or similar) can be more easily "sniffed" from the air. But, if your router could have several levels of encryption, then the more sensitive data could use a more secure connection and the older computer could still connect to the router. Obviously, this would make it easier to connect to the router over the weaker encryption instead of the stronger, but if there were were more stringent connection restrictions on the router (MAC address filtering, etc.) for the weaker encryption then it could be made more secure. All forms of encryption and access control can be beaten eventually. Why make your overall system less secure if there are only a few devices that are on your network that don't support the higher encryption? (This message posted by my very old laptop that does not support WPA, and only has 0.25 gb of RAM :~ )
I'm still using WEP at home as there seem to be too many obstacles to everything else. Keep hearing how bad it is but last time I looked into WPA none of my routers supported it and I don't think any of my network adapters had whatever support it was they needed (but can't remember 100% about that). At work at the moment but just looking at my mobile phone now (which is the only thing I really use my home wi-fi for anyway since my wireless security camera decided to stop working and I use powerline networking to link my computers together) and that has options for WEP, TKIP and AES but no mention of WPA.
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I'm still using WEP at home as there seem to be too many obstacles to everything else. Keep hearing how bad it is but last time I looked into WPA none of my routers supported it and I don't think any of my network adapters had whatever support it was they needed (but can't remember 100% about that). At work at the moment but just looking at my mobile phone now (which is the only thing I really use my home wi-fi for anyway since my wireless security camera decided to stop working and I use powerline networking to link my computers together) and that has options for WEP, TKIP and AES but no mention of WPA.
TKIP is WPA, and it can be implemted on the same hardware that WEP is built on. WPA2 has replaced WPA, and it is based on an AES encryption algorithm.